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How To Freeze Apples

Freezing Apples

Frozen apples are great to have on hand for pies, cakes, and
other treats throughout the winter. The process is simple: peel and
slice your apples, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then put them in a
plastic freezer bag for longer-term storage. That is the basic process,
but we provide more detail here on what to do and how to use your
frozen apple slices.
You may be tempted to sprinkle lemon juice over your apple slices to
prevent the inevitable oxidation process that turns apple slices brown.
The problem is that those apples that freeze the best are already tart.
You could end up with far too much tartness in your end product. If
whiteness in your cooking apple is important to you then choose a
variety like Gala that does not really turn brown.
To peel and slice your apples, the quickest and simplest method of
preparing the apples for freezing is one of those corer/peeler/slicer
gadgets (we review such a gadget here).
If you do much with apples, do yourself a favor and invest in one. For
a discussion, watch the video or read the instruction below.

How to Freeze Apples

Once your apples are ready just follow these easy steps:

Spread your apple slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Place the cookie sheet into the freezer. The apple slices
should be frozen through in a couple of hours depending on the
temperature of your freezer.

When the slices are stiff and frozen remove the tray from the freezer.

Working quickly, pop the apple slices loose on place into a freezer bag.

For best results, place two cups of apples in each bag so that
you can easily find a recipe-ready quantity. (Certainly, you can measure
them later when you are using them if that works better.)

Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can and seal.

Flatten the bag onto another cookie sheet and return the frozen
apple slices to the freezer. The bag will freeze in a shape that makes
for easy stacking. You will probably do a number of bags so the stacking
becomes an important point in the process of food preservation.

Reload the first cookie sheet with apple slices and repeat the
process. If you have plenty of room in your freezer, you could have
three or four cookie sheets going at one time. If you are short on
space, even a plate of apple slices freezing at any one time will
eventually build you a good stash.

What Varieties of Apple Freeze Well?

Since
the end result of a frozen apple slice is use in cooking, then you want
a good cooking apple to start with. Generally these apples are a blend
of sweet and tart. Some hold their shape through cooking and some do
not. Some turn brown quickly and others do not. However, they all have
stunning flavor after being cooked. For instance, a Jonagold is a
beautiful and tasty apple to snack on and it is fabulous when turned
into applesauce. The ideal apple for freezing is one that has both
intense flavor and holds its shape. Fuji is one of those. Search out
your local apple growers and you will find more. The video below
provides some insight on selecting apples for cooking.

How Do You Use Frozen Apple Slices?

Pie: Handle your frozen apple slices just as you would use
fresh slices for making apple pie or apple crisp. The apple slices are
still a bit frozen when they go into the oven.

Side dish: Drop a bag of frozen apple slices into a
skillet with a tablespoon or two of water. Put on a lid and turn the
heat to low. When the apples have thawed, add sugar and seasoning.
Continue cooking until the apples are done and the contents of the
skillet is thickening. Depending on the amount of sugar you added, these
apple slices could be a side-dish to meat or the base of an easy
dessert.

Dessert: Using the cooking method above, scoop the cooked apple into small bowls. Top with whipped cream and some crushed nuts.

More dessert: Soften a flour tortilla with melted butter
in a skillet. Place the tortilla on a plate and add a couple
tablespoons of the apple mixture to one side of the tortilla. Roll up
the tortilla. Drizzle honey-butter over the top and garnish with a
dollup of sweetened sour cream. I discovered this years ago on a trip to
San Diego, have not found it since except in my own kitchen. Anyone who
has had it raves.

Melt the lard in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion
and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add tomato sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce and red pepper flakes; bring
just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens
slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar; season sauce to taste
with salt and pepper. Reserve about 3/4 of a cup for the chicken wings,
and store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a
later use.
While the sauce is simmering, prepare and heat your grill, depending
on type – if using charcoal, make sure you have a bed of hot coals,
covered in ash, spread evenly beneath the grate. Raise the grate to
between 4 and 6 inches above the coals/heat.
Rinse the chicken wings and dry then with a paper towel. Pla…